Programme Excerpt, Sourp Khatch

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History of the Armenian Apostolic Church

Christianity in Armenia can be traced back to the age of the Apostles. Two of Christ’s Apostles, St. Thaddeus (35-43
A.D.) and St. Bartholomew (44-60 A.D.), preached the Gospel in Armenia as early as the first century and according to
tradition were martyred there. The Armenian Church is therefore of Apostolic origin. There is historical evidence of the
existence of a Christian community and clergy in Armenia prior to the fourth century. It was at the beginning of the fourth
century, in 301 A.D., that Christianity was first proclaimed the official religion of Armenia. This proclamation was the
result of the missionary activity of St. Gregory the Illuminator (240-332 A.D.) who baptized King Trdat III (Tiridates) and
the royal family. St. Gregory was installed as the first Catholicos, or chief bishop of Armenia, and continued to convert the
Armenian people.

There could not have been a truly Armenian Christian culture if the Gospel could not be proclaimed to the Armenian people
in the Armenian language. In 405 A.D., St. Mesrob Mashdots, an Armenian monk, invented the Armenian alphabet and with the
help of the Catholicos, St. Sahak I, translated the Bible into Armenian. The Armenian Bible, one of the earliest translations
of the Holy Scriptures, was without doubt an enormous literary achievement that integrated Christianity into Armenian
life.

The conversion of Armenia to Christianity permeated the whole course and destiny of Armenian history. Throughout the
succeeding centuries, the Armenian people lived their national life under the influence of the Gospel, and as a result,
Church and Nation became inseparably interwoven. During times of crisis and the absence of a physical Armenian state, the
Church played an important role in preserving and fostering the spirit and culture of the nation. Hence, the Armenian
Apostolic Church is seen by many as the custodian of Armenian national identity.